Nine Minutes

Easy Run
3.26 miles in 33:54

I wanted to do a 5 mile tempo run, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Stomach wasn’t 100% - I blame the red meat I’ve eaten over the weekend and my back suddenly having spasm 1 minute into my run. Oh well, one bad run won’t ruin the other good runs I’ve had for the month.

June Running Schedule:

June 2 (National Running Day) – 3 mi easy
June 3 – 3 mi easy
June 5 – 7 mi race Goldsborough Creek Run
June 7 – 3 mi easy
June 9 – 5 mi tempo
June 10 – 3 mi easy
June 12 – 12 mi long
June 14 – 3 mi easy
June 16 – 8 mi speed
June 17 – 3 mi easy
June 19 – 6 mi long
June 21 – 3 mi easy
June 23 – 5 mi tempo
June 24 – 2 mi easy
June 26 – 13.1 race Seattle Rock n’ Roll ½ Marathon

Decided to go out for some sushi for with Bri. Had some very good food. Maybe a little too much. Here are my finished plates.

Several plates of Sushi finished.

Afterwards, we randomly go to Target. I walk out with a new belt. Just a few blocks from Target is a bike race that has been going on all afternoon and into the evening. We decide to watch the last race, which seems to be the pro men.

Hammer time.

Bri falls in love and tells me her future husband just rode by in the spandex.

I reply, “Aren’t they all wearing spandex?”
“Yup!” 

We’re not really sure how this race works, but there were points being given out at some of the laps, money prices on other laps and they shut off the clock (which was counting down) with five laps to go.

 
Camera phones are not really made for action shots.

We stick around to the end to cheer and watch the riders finish the race. It was getting dark and late, so we head back to my car to go home. But not before a photo-op with a semi-humorous sign;

Bri stands next to the ‘Balls’ sign.

Yeah, we’re a little immature at times. 

“I no longer fear the pain of childbirth because of Ironman”

- Bri, my old roommate. She mentions this on our run this morning. She is preparing for her second Ironman next month.

A long run
10.7 miles in 1:50:36

Ran with my old roommate in one of the local trails. She was running for 3 hrs and I had planned to run 10-11 miles. I met up with her after she had ran about 4.5 miles and we ran together for 1 hr and 50 mins together. She left me back at my car while she ran for about 30 more minutes.

The run was a little slower, but we were doing some catch up and talking to each other the whole time. I’m sure I would have gotten that last 0.3 miles for an even 11 miles if there was no talking. 

Tempo Run
7.49 miles in 1:10:28

Started with a 10 min easy pace and then picked it up to a tempo pace (running at a comfortably-hard pace) for about 55 mins before slowing down to an easy pace to finish the run. Stopped four times; once to tie my shoe laces and three times to walk. Those walks only lasted 30-60 seconds and I think I needed them because I was running just a little bit too hard. 

This run felt good. My runs have felt good since my race two weeks ago. The Seattle Rock N’ Roll 1/2 Marathon is just over 4 weeks away and I’m getting antsy and excited. Rawr.

Interval run tonight
3.46 mi in 33:01 

10 min warm up, then 
~1:00 sprints x5 with 2:00 min recovery jog

I was going to recap my race at the Capital City 5-miler sooner, but I wanted to wait until my photos from the race was released - which finally did yesterday.

First of all, I had trouble taking this race seriously. My main race is still the Seattle Rock n’ Roll, so this 5 miler was a practice run. It was when I started focusing on getting a PR (personal record) that I finally started to take the race more seriously. 

I originally wanted to be at the race early enough to see the marathoners start so that I could say hello or any encouragement to my friend who was doing his first full marathon, but unfortunately I am not a morning person and got to the race 15 minutes before mine started (1hr 45 mins after the marathon started). I got there much later than I wanted. I just had enough time to hit the bathroom, drop off my stuff at gear check and do some quick warm ups before the start. 

That’s me in the white visor. Look at my serious face!

I knew the first part of the race has an incline, so I lined up towards the back to prevent myself from going out too fast. Everything started out fine, I was going fast, but not too fast and I weaved through some of the slower people. Then just over 4 minutes after the race started, I feel it - my left laces had become undone and were hitting my legs. There was no way I was going make it though the race with my laces untied. I run to the side to tie my shoelaces. The gloves I was wearing slowed down my shoe tying, but I do a double knot and get back to the race. The hard part (incline start) was over, so I try to run a little faster to make up for the lost seconds. I get to the first mile marker and I look at my watch - 9:44. Crap! My time from two years ago was a pace of 9:16, so I was just setting my goal of 9:15, so 9:44 was may below my goal. I know tying my laces slowed me down, so I try to do some calculations in my head of what my pace should be for the next four miles. After confusing myself with numbers, I said screw it and just ran a little faster. 

I came to the first water stop and I barely slowed down to get my cup of water. After I got my water, I kept running and tried to drink. The water ended up going up my nose and down my shirt and I inhaled a bit of it too. I really need to learn to drink out of a cup while running - I normally grab, squeeze the top part to form a V opening on the cup and drink from that - I’m open to suggestions. Anyway, I took a bit of time to take in the sight as we ran across a bridge, but after that I focused back on the race. The second mile came up, I looked down at my watch and saw my time at 9:02. Awesome, I made up some good time in the second mile. The third mile came along and my pace for the mile was 9:03. Just a little bit slower, but still fast. I got to the last water station and I start looking for mile marker 4. I never see it. I knew the last leg of the rest was pretty much downhill, so as soon as the downhill started, I stepped it up another notch. 

Less than a mile to the finish. Must-beat-this kid.

I start looking at the people ahead of me and I try to catch up to them one at a time and pass them, I pass some guy, some kid, some couple. I pass a few people and I start hearing the music from the finish line. Then, finally I see the finish line. Moments later I finished. I look at my watch and I ran the last 2.2 miles in 19:01, a really fast pace. I later see my official finish time posted - 46:43, a 8:59 pace - wow, much faster than I had expected. 

After I grabbed my stuff from gear check, I head over towards the finish line to cheer on the other finishers. There are two finishers I want to point out;

 
Their bodies are saying no, but they still get out there and run anyway. I should make a goal to have everyone I know attend a race, so they can see people of all shapes, sizes, age and athletic ability running. I hear too many excuses from people. After participating in nearly two dozen races, anyone can do this.

John
I cheer on for about an hour before I see my first friend, John, he is finishing the half marathon. He wanted me to do the half with him, but there was no way I could do the pace he wanted. I knew I can go the distance, but not at the speed he wanted. After the race, we talk about future races that we may sign up and do. He mentioned a couple marathons, but I’m not sure if I can be ready for them. He also mentioned doing a 50k next April, which I am very open to doing.

Charlie. 
After John left, I went back to the finish line area and saw Charlie’s wife. I went over to her and talked for a bit and to make sure I didn’t miss Charlie’s finish. She tells me that Charlie was aiming to finish in 4:30. 4:30 came and went by, then 4:40, then 4:50. I think his wife got a little worried and asked me about my marathon. I tell her my best is 5:15. She’s a bit relieved that the run can be slow. Then much later, my friend Charlie finally appeared and finished his first marathon. He and I both were offensive linemen in football in high school. A sport more known for being big and heavy, but now he too is a long distance runner.

Once again, congrats to all runners in the Capital City Marathon, 1/2 and 5-miler.

I just watched the Lost Finale off the internet and some of the comments from the chat room was just too funny;

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A long run this morning - 11.04 miles in 1:49:02.
Followed by some core workouts and stretching.

Quick run tonight, 3.2 miles in 32:13. 
Planning on waking up early tomorrow and doing some stretches. 

Interval run tonight, 6.01 miles in 1:01:48.

10 min easy run to warm up, then 2 minutes of sprinting, then 4 minutes of easy running and repeat. Ended up with 6 sprints, the last two were barely sprinting, more like running faster. 

Felt pretty good for the first half, but both my calves tightened up and made the run a little harder. Good thing though is my fall from the other day didn’t really bother my run tonight. Yay! Anyway, short run tomorrow and then a long run on Sunday.

Three PRs in one one day! Two of my friends ran in the Capital City also and they had PRs themselves. My friend John ran the 1/2 marathon and he broke the his goal of 2hrs with a 1:54:10. My other friend Charlie did his first full marathon. I didn’t look up his time, but this is his first marathon and he finished, so that is a PR to me. Grats to all the other runners today!